University Alliance responds to OFFA’s strategic plan

University Alliance welcomed the publication of OFFA’s strategic plan, which covers the period 2015-2020, setting out how it will work with universities and colleges to improve fair access to higher education.

Maddalaine Ansell, Chief Executive of University Alliance, said:

“If it is to succeed in the 21st century, the UK needs more people to obtain graduate-level skills. So we must work harder to ensure that everyone with the aspiration and ability to go to university can do so. Lifting the cap on student numbers will help – poorer students will always be disadvantaged in a system that restricts places.

“Equally, universities have a responsibility to support these students to get the most from their university experience – to gain the knowledge, skills and social capital they need to succeed in their chosen career. This is something that Alliance universities, with their focus on providing excellent teaching and research, geared towards industry and the professions, hold at the heart of their missions.”